6teen Voices
by Running For Anothers Dream
Summary: Secrets. Fears. Lies. Friendships falling apart and no clear way to fix them. Darkness brewing and no clear path to the light. The bearers of the elements find themselves flung into a new world with a new mission. Find the voices and set them free. The problem? Let's just say when you're sixteen and you're life is falling apart, the only world that matters is the one you live in.
1. Chapter 1

A/N: I know that I shouldn't be starting anymore stories...but I couldn't resist. I love both of these series so much, and want to share the characters with everyone. I would love to hear everyone's thoughts on this!

* * *

_"Stronger bonds must be woven."_

The voice is an echo of the past, drifting in on the wind. It catches in the leaves and the bright blue flowers at Zecora's hooves, aging them from buds to blooms in mere moments.

The zebra nods, even if she doesn't fully agree or understand. There is no bond greater than that woven by heart magic, and the spirits themselves have blessed those six mares with eternal friendship.

"If you tell me what I must do, then I will try my best for you. Twilight Sparkle is a smart mare, and I know that she will listen. The only mystery is how the others will fare," says Zecora, gaze shifting from tree to bush to open air, searching for the familiar shimmer that marks a distortion in the Veil.

There is none.

_"Their friendship will be tested like never before. In it's current state, it will shatter and the Elements will be lost."_

Zecora's ears twitch, unease settling in her chest like a heavy stone. The spirits are seldom wrong, never wrong, always right. Even though Zecora doesn't recognize this strange, musical voice as one of the three who visit her most frequently, she knows that it would never lie.

Cannot lie. Is always bound to tell the truth, even if it is only in whispers and broken segmants of a warning.

"They are stronger than they look," says Zecora, she takes a few steps forwards, deeper into the Everfree Forest. "Twilight's strength no longer comes only from books."

The wind picks up. Branches shake and tremble, clattering together. Birds take flight and the flap of their wings is loud and frantic, as they struggle to get away from the sudden ice-like surge of magic. One by one, each and every flower wilts.

Eyes are on Zecora's back, cold and unforgiving.

The zebra spins around, expecting the forest to remain empty. Instead, a young stallion stands before her, half hidden by the shadows of a large cyprus tree. His mane is as dark as the night sky, but his pelt reminds Zecora of freshly fallen snow.

_"They must find each other anew,_" insists the spirit. As though the sound is off, his mouth quits moving before the words are finished being spoken. _"Send them through the Veil, lest the Dark One take them early. They are not strong enough._"

Zecora's heart pounds in her chest. She shakes her head, takes a step backwards. "No! Equis needs them here! They must not go!"

The world flickers. Something growls, low and deep. The stallion is directly in front of Zecora, frozen breath ghosting over her muzzle. Another lapse in reality and he's gone, leaving behind nothing but a layer of frost on the grass.

His words ring through out the forest, a whispered warning that only Zecora can hear.

_"Secrets begets lies, until each mare is woven deep, trapped in a spider's web. Lies begets a burning anger, until there is no more trust, and they drown deep beneath the violant waves. Only trust begets friendship, and only friendship can save Equis. Renew their trust and hope will be found._"

-x-x-x-

Purple eyes, made of slowly melting ice and all of the mysteries of dusk. The world around them shimmers and warps, a small tear in reality. A glimpse of the Fabled Lands.

_"I cannot tell you his name, nor the meaning of his warning. It is not in my powers. Not this time, my friend."_

There is no body for the voice to come from, but Zecora knows that it belongs to the eyes staring at her. This spirit is a friend, is familiar, is someone that the zebra mare will trust with her life. And yet...the words seem ominous and untrue.

Spirits may speak in riddles, but they never deny one their name.

"Amaranth, you must tell me more. Otherwise, I will not send them to a foreign shore," says Zecora, and her ears twitch backwards as she shuffles from hoof to hoof.

Another shimmer. More eyes - this time reflecting running water and sun-kissed leaves, the sort of blue that isn't often seen anymore. A pure, clear color.

_"My friend, you must trust us for just a little bit longer. There are things going on that you do not understand and that we are forbidden to tell you," says the new spirit, and there's a strange lilt to her words, like she is from long ago and far away._

Uneasy, Zecora paws at the ground with one hoof. The golden bangles around her fetlock knock together, but the soft jingle is drowned out by a crash of thunder high above. Through the thickness of the tree tops, no storm clouds can be seen.

They are there, though.

A storm is coming.

"Make me understand! Why must they leave this land?" insists Zecora, and when was the last time that she argued with the spirits like this? That she demanded an answer from them?

She thinks that, just maybe, it was the very first time she bled while doing their bidding.

More eyes, right in front of Zecora. Warm sunshine and sweet honey, small and gentle. The voice that belongs to them is young, that of a filly. _"I'm sorry that we can't answer your questions, dear friend, but I have one thing that I can tell you."_

As if angry, the purple eyes blink out of existance. Then the blue ones vanish, too.

_"We have asked you to do much over the years, my friend. Things that we should never have asked of any pony, let alone one that has already lost so much. You have to remember though,"_ says the voice that belongs to those honey gold eyes. "_What is lost will always be found. This is more than just Equis that is in danger. It is everything - and though it isn't right for us to ask you to bleed again, I fear that we must._"

-x-x-x-

The storm comes in fast and it comes in hard. Everything is muted and gray, rain pounding down hard on Zecora's back as she stands on the hill over looking Ponyville. As is expected during the course of weather like this, the streets are empty and the blinds are drawn.

It looks as close to a ghost town as the zebra has ever seen it, and the words of the spirits echoes in her mind.

_What is lost will always be found._

A strong wind blows, catching Zecora's cloak and whipping it around her.

_Only trust begets friendship_.

She drags one front hoof through the damp earth.

_I cannot tell you his name._

Does it again and again, until the sygil is woven deep in the earth.

_Only trust._

A circle. Two lines. An X at the end of one of them.

_You must bleed again._

Thunder rolls. A flash of lightning. Black eyes, staring at her. Blood, coating foreign soil. Voices, loud and angry, soft and mournful, pleading for help from someone, anyone, and no one is answering.

_Only trust begets friendship._

Zecora dances, and the sound of her bangles clacking together is lost in the raging storm.

_Only trust._

Lightning, everywhere. Too much to be natural. It lights up the city as though the sun is shining and Zecora knows that, where ever the bearers of the elements may be, they are watching it.

_Trust._

Another clap of thunder, and Zecora stills. The rain stops. There is no sound, save for her own ragged breathing.

"There is no trust," pants Zecora. "Not anymore."


	2. Chapter 2

A/N: Alright! This isn;t my favorite piece of work so far, but I'm excited to get the next chapter written and posted! It might be a while, but it will happen. I can't wait to have these two worlds interact!

* * *

"Alright, Wyatt. What's this big news of yours?" asks Jen, slipping into the seat beside the dark haired boy.

She's the only one at the table so far, briefly wonders where everyone else is. Caitlyn, at least, is usually just a few feet away, in the Lemon. A glance shows that the lemonaid stand is closed up tight, though, and the bouncing blonde no where to be seen.

There's a moment where Wyatt looks around, no doubt trying to find the others too. Then he bites down on his lower lip and frowns. "I can't tell you until everyone's here. But it's big, Jen. Really big."

"Big in a good way?" asks Jen, and her stomach twists a little when Wyatt hesitates before nodding. "That didn't look like you're very sure."

"It's...it's a good thing. Just -" Abruptly, Wyatt stands up. Motions behind Jen, gives a small little grin. "Here comes Caitlyn! Think she has the others with her?"

Twisting around in the stiff cafeteria chair, Jen suddenly finds her face pressed into a bright pink shirt. A shrill giggle, and then Caitlyn is dropping into the seat beside Jen, all long legs and perfect white teeth.

"Guess who got a raise today," she sings, clapping her hands together.

Jen grins and, when no one else joins the table and there's no sign of Wyatt telling his little secret early, reaches over and claps Caitlyn on the shoulder. "That's great! I told you that taking those extra shifts would pay off!"

"Like, you were totally right. As soon as Nikki gets off work, she's going to take me to this new shop that opened up across from the Khaki Barn and help me pick out a new night gown for tonight." Caitlyn giggles and then waves at Wyatt, curling just her fingers when she does.

Wyatt rolls his eyes but waves back. It looks like he's just going to have to wait longer for his announcement. Odd enough, he isn't the least bit upset about it.

-x-x-x-

Jude crosses his arms over his chest, leans back against the wall of the men's restroom. "Dude, I'm thinking that you're startin' to go a little over board with all this sneakin' around and stuff."

A tee-shirt smacks him in the face. It smells like burrito's, salsa, and perfume. A pair of dark jeans follow, and then a name tag. Jonesy doesn't bother to justify himself, knows that he really can't. Just keeps rooting through his backpack for his clean shirt.

"I mean it, bro. It's getting a little bit weird," says Jude, picking the discarded shirt up between two fingers and holding it away from himself. "Did you go to the taco stand without me?"

"Yep," answers Jonesy, finally straightening up, tugging on a clean shirt. It's dark and collared and freshly starched, like nothing else that he owns or wears. "Went there for lunch today."

A huff. Jude's lower lip jutts out in an obvious pout, voice very close to being a whine. "Without me?"

Jonesy shakes out his white slacks, stepping into them one leg at a time. "That's what I just said. I stopped by Stick It but you weren't there."

"So you went without me?" says Jude, again.

Rolling his eyes, Jonesy takes a moment to tuck his shirt in, to adjust the collar. He runs his hand through his ruffled hair, offers his reflection a winning smile. "You're going to cover for me still, right?"

Because he can't actually tell the others where he's going.

Can't say why he has to miss their get together, again.

Can't bring himself to admit it.

Just can't.

His smile falters, threatens to break. Jonesy rubs his hand over his face, looks at the reflection of his best friend in the mirror. Jude looks dissapointed, and he isn't entirely sure whether it's over the missed Mexican food or because he has to relay another message to their friend.

Jonesy also doesn't wait around long enough to find out.

-x-x-x-

The storm rolls in sometime around two o'clock, loud and dark. Rain beats down on the roof of the mall, drowning out the music that normally plays. Thunder rumbles close over head, and Nikki gives a loud sigh, leans an arm on the top of the counter.

She can just barely make out a blonde head bobbing around behind the nearby sales rack, the only sign that Caitlyn hasn't already taken off. Most of the customers have. In fact, all of the other customers have.

"This is so stupid." Nikki's words are loud, meant to drift through the store and catch the attention of the other three employee's.

If they hear her, they don't bother giving an answer.

Caitlyn does, though, holding up a bright pink tee shirt. "Tell me about it! This shirt is _so_ not worth twenty dollars!"

"Nothing in this store is worth twenty dollars," snaps Nikki. "Everything in here is just the same crap we sold in the Spring but in _different colors_!"

A beat of silence. A magazine slaps Nikki in the back of the head and she's met with a glare from Kristen. "Don't diss the Summer collection, Nikki."

Another clap of thunder. Nikki scowls, slinks down even further against the counter. Watches through narrowed eyes as Kristen moves to join Caitlyn at the clearence rack, cheerfully directing the blonde to a light green tank top.

She doesn't think that she's ever hated this job more.

"Hey, brah."

Never mind. Nikki knows that she's never hated this job more. Glancing over her shoulder, she's met with the sight of Jude, a bag that obviously isn't his slung over one shoulder. "Why are you carrying around Jonesy's gym clothes?"

"It's a real funny story. See, we were out-"

"I don't really want to know," says Nikki, holding up one hand to signal her friend to stop. "Just tell me what stupid excuse he's giving us this time."

Jude grins, shoving his hands into his pockets. "Jonesy wants me to tell you that he can't come to the sleep over tonight because he has to help measure his neighbor's grass."

-x-x-x-

It's still storming when the small group finally manages to make it to Jude's house. They don't question the location of her parents, never do, never will, but make themselves at home in the living room.

_Hey, hey._

Lightning flashes, illuminating the otherwise dark house.

_My, my._

Jude stretches out on the couch, feet brushing against Jen's shoulders.

_In this life, we fight and lie._

The power has been out for near an hour.

_Only one truth rings out clear._

The only sound is the soft chords of Wyatt's guitar.

_Gotta stand up tall or dissapear._

And then there's more.

_Can't look back, can't turn around._

It's as though the storm has moved into the room with them.

_Hold your ground._

The shadows grow thick and heavy, as though you could reach out and take hold of them. Jen bolts up from her spot on the couch, scrambling to get her phone out of her pockets and add some light to the room.

_Don't back down._

"What's going on?" asks Wyatt, letting his fingers slip away from the guitar strings. Vaguely, he thinks that maybe it's a good thing Jonesy skipped out on them. The older boy doesn't like this sort of darkness, after all.

No one answers. They're all too focused on the shape suddenly taking form in the center of the room. It's white and black all at once, flickering in and out of reality, reaching one hand towards the couch, towards Jude, fingers stretching out until they are almost touching his face.

Caitlyn screams. Nikki grabs at something, the remote control, and flings it at the shape.

There's a low noise, like an animal growling. Outside, the wind picks up, ripping at the branches of the anciant oak tree. The shape recoils - and then it bursts, sending sparks of that strange black light in all directions and it isn't just Caitlyn screaming but all of them.

A spark slams into Wyatt's chest. There's a moment where he is horribly aware of his blood coarsing through his veins.

Then the darkness swallows him and he knows nothing.


End file.
